1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a non-contact connector to perform data exchange without contact.
2. Description of the Related Art
With advances in wireless technology in recent years, non-contact connectors which perform data exchange without contact, while having connector functions, have begun to appear.
For example, by using a non-contact connector to connect a rotatable camera to a signal processing unit, image signals captured by the camera can be transmitted without contact to the signal processing unit.
As technology for non-contact connectors of the prior art, there are non-contact connectors, comprising a rotating body and a fixed body, in which electricity is fed from the fixed body to portions of the rotating body without contact (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-75760).
Further, there are also non-contact connectors in which, by providing a reflecting mirror connected to a gear on a rotating body, and exchanging data without contact between the rotating body and the fixed body via the reflecting mirror, the continuity of high-speed communication can be secured (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2006-197553).
However, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-75760, light-receiving element switching must be performed, and when data is transmitted at high speed this switching cannot keep pace, so that there is the problem that the continuity of high-speed communication cannot be secured.
And, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2006-197553, even though the continuity of high-speed communication can be secured, the reflecting mirror must be rotated at a specific velocity using gears, so that there are the problems that design tasks are not easy, and that the number of components is increased to the extent that gears are used, so that costs are increased.
Further, there are demands for non-contact connectors capable of transmission and reception in both directions between the rotating side and the fixed side, over numerous channels.
This invention was devised in light of the above problems, and has as an object the provision of a non-contact connector capable of multichannel bidirectional communication.
A further object of the invention is to provide a non-contact connector which secures continuity of communication.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a non-contact connector which can easily be designed, and which is low in cost.